Entertainment venue operators call for bars and nightlife in tourism ”blue-zone” areas to be fully, legally reopened in June

PHOTO: Daily News

Bangkok –

A group of nightlife entertainment venues operators has submitted a proposal letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha to legally allow their businesses to be reopened, primarily in ”blue-zone” areas geared to tourism like Phuket and Pattaya, to help promote tourism from June 1st onwards.

They also called on the government to proceed with the redefinition of Covid-19 as endemic disease in Thailand by July 1st, as planned by the Public Health Ministry. The government should consider entertainment venues, including bars, pubs, and karaoke lounges, that are certified by SHA Plus or Thai Stop COVID 2 Plus to be reopened as usual, according to them. Currently, the venues are legally closed nationwide and operating as “restaurants” with early closing times and many rules.

In the first phase of the proposal letter, entertainment venues in 12 ”blue-zone” provinces and other certain “blue zones” in 16 other provinces would be allowed to reopen first from June 1st. Then, in the second phase, the reopening of such venues should be allowed nationwide from July 1st.

PHOTO: Bangkok Biz News

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, President of the Khaosan Road Business Association, told the Associated Press today, May 9th, that the Association also urged the Prime Minister to cancel the Emergency decree and the Communicable Disease Act as they could affect the international tourists’ insurance purchases and their decisions to visit the country.

“Once the country was reopened, entertainment venues should be reopened too because the nightlife business was one of the main reasons why foreign tourists visited Thailand. Therefore, we must show off our tourism potential before other tourism countries as quickly as possible,” the president said.

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Nop Meechukhun
National News Writer at The Pattaya News from September 2020 to October 2022. Born and raised in Bangkok, Nop enjoys telling stories of her hometown through her words and pictures. Her educational experience in the United States and her passion for journalism have shaped her genuine interests in society, politics, education, culture, and art.